POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1865, 20 September 1906, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

OUR DEFENCE FORCES,

.(Special to Gisborne Times.) Wellington, last night. The question whether a Commandant for the New Zealand Defence forces or wbether a military oounoil should be ap» pointed, is at present engaging the serious of the Government. In either ease the policy of the Government will be to ees that the services of highly-trained military experts are seoured for particular branohes of tbe service. It is understood that some important obaoges in tbe Defenoe Department are pending. Colonels Davies and Robin are at present in Wei* lington. General Babington and Captain Campbell leave en route to England on Saturday, Mr MoNab states in answer to Mr Rutherford, that the constitution of the military oounoil or boatd as suggested in Borne of the newspapers, is altogether ineorreot and misleading. The constituent members of 6uoh a oounoil have not yet been considered.bat there oan be no doubt that, if such a council be established, the interests of tbe mounted branoh of the servioe will be represented thereon, A POOH-BAH.

Mr Ngata (says the Post) drew tbe at* tention of tbe House to a Pooh-Bah in the Native Department. This was an official in Poverty Bay (Judge Jones), who is the Distriot Lind Registrar, Registrar of Deeds, Examiner of Titles, President of

tho Maori Land Court, aud Deputy Commissioner of Stamps, for whieh combination of duties ha reoeives £425 per annum. Mr Ngata said that Judge Jones bad too much to do and was paid too little for bis responsibilities. The Native Minister, in reply, said that Judge Jones had not been as long in the service as tbe other Native Land Court Judges who received £SOO per annum. EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Several more petitions in favor of tho East Coast Railway woro presented to-day. According to a reply made to-day to Mr Ell tho Government do not intend to undertake the coustructiQn of this line at present. The Minister states that when a decision is arrived at the suggestion to enforce the betterment principle will bo considered.

EDUCATION RESERVES

Mr Ngata asked the Minister of Education to day whether he will cause to be set up a Commission to enquire into the position and administration of certain reserves for educational purposes entrusted to the Wesleyan aud Roman Catholic authorities on the same lines as the inquiries into tho Porirua, To Aute, and other trusts, before legislating generally on the subject of such Educational reserves ? The reply was that this was a question of policy that had not yet been considered by the Government.